The Ford F-Series is a series of light, medium and super duty trucks manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1948. One of he most popular versions of the series is the light duty F-150. Now in its thirteenth generation, the F-150 is one of the best selling trucks in America.

Throughout the years, every model year F-150 has experienced problems and defects. Below are some of the most common problems affecting 2015-2019 model year F-150 trucks.

“Transmission makes clunking and grinding noise.” Many F-150 owners report problems with their transmissions when starting, accelerating, or shifting. They experience clunking and jerking when shifting through gears on all types of roads. Although there are several transmission recalls affecting Ford F-150 trucks, none of them address the difficult shifting problems.

“Loud grinding when starting.” Grinding from the starter often starts with a faulty starter solenoid. The starter solenoid has internal electrical contacts that supply electricity to the starter. When it is not working properly, it may allow the starter drive gear to grind on the teeth of the flywheel after the engine has started. Over time the drive gear will wear down, the grinding will become more frequent and the starter will have to be replaced. In some cases a vehicle could go through two or three starters in its lifespan.

“Front end grinding in 2WD” In August 2019, Ford released a technical service bulletin for intermittent grinding noises coming from the Integrated Wheel Ends (IWE) in some 2013-2018 F-150, Expedition and Navigator vehicles. The problem was caused by a loss of vacuum to the Integrated Wheel End (IWE) actuators and/or wear of the IWE components. To correct the condition service centers were instructed to inspect and replace worn vacuum and IWE components.

“Engine rattle at startup.” The first symptom of problems with a timing chain is a rattle from the engine on start up. Because the timing chains are so long, they must be kept tight using hydraulic tensioners and are supported by plastic guides. With the proper lubrication and oil filter the timing chain should last the life of the vehicle, but with a substandard oil filter, the engine oil may drain back to the oil pan when the engine is turned off.  A lack of oil pressure means tensioners cannot immediately tighten the timing chains on startup.  When this occurs slack in the chain tends to jerk and the plastic timing chain guides can break.

“Grinding noise coming from the wheels.” Grinding that seems to be coming from your wheels is most likely bad wheel bearings. Wheel bearings allow for friction-free movement of the hub assembly so your wheels can rotate smoothly, but they are not immune to wear and tear and may need to be replaced over the length of a vehicle’s life. If the noise gets louder as you accelerate, then a bad wheel bearing is most likely the problem.

If you purchased or leased a defective Ford F-150 in California and it turned out to be a lemon, contact us now and we can help you get rid of it… just fill out the above form or call us now for a free case evaluation.